Method and apparatus for removing valve lifter units from internal combustion engines



y 1960 H. J. MILLER 2,943,335

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING VALVE LIFTER 1 UNITS FROM INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Feb. 24, 1956 INVENTOR. flmezey 11; 114/44 5e United States Patent 2,943,385 METHOD APPARATUS FOR REMOVING VALVE LIFTER UNITS FROM INTERNAL COM- BUSTION ENGINES 1 Harry J. Miller, Napa, Califl, assignor to Lorelle M. Williams, Los Angeles, Calif.

Filed Feb. 2 4, 1956, Ser. No. 567,682

4 Claims. (Cl. 29-213) units from the engine so that they can be cleaned and repaired.

Internal combustion engines of the reciprocating type are characterized by pistons that operate in cylinders and by valves that are opened and closed, to control intake and exhaust of gases into and out of the cylinders. Said valves require adjustment for proper operation and for this purpose, such engines are commonly provided with the automatically adjustable valve lifter units with which this invention is primarily concerned. It is to be understood, however, that similar lifters may be used for other Widely diversified purposes. The units under consideration operate between a cam and a push rod that is operatively connected to the valve of the engine to open and close the same, there usually being a push rod seat that adapts the lifter unit to move the push rod. The invention includes other constructions which are not necessary to an understanding of this invention, and, therefore, in the following detailed description, reference will be made primarily to the construction of the valve lifter unit itself. a 1

Valve lifters as such, are precision made parts assembled as units to be installed in working position in the engine and operate with the aid of hydraulic fluid under pressure to maintain proper adjustment between the cam and the valve to be operated. Said lifter units must remain clean for proper operation, and very often are rendered partially or completely inoperative due to the presence of dirt and gums, etc. Ordinarily, when the latter condition exists, it is usually necessary to remove 2,943,385 Patented July 5, 1960 the application of driving forces necessary in order to conveniently remove the unit from the engine block.

It is still another object of this invention to'provide extracting mechanism to be used in connection with valve lifter unit that provides extensive engagement with the body part of the unit whereby the unit is firmly and reliably drawn from operating position. V

, The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of the typical preferred forms and applications of my invention, throughout which description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which: s

Fig. l is a sectional view of a portion of a typical internal combustion engine and showing a typical valve lifter unit. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l and showing the first step of the method and illustrating the bailing tool which I have provided. Fig. 3 is also a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing the second step 'of the method and illustrating the extracting tool which I have provided. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the bailing tool which I have provided. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the extracting tool which I have provided, Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed transverse sectional view taken as indicated by line 6-6 on Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of a portion of the structure with the parts positioned as they are positioned in Fig. 3.

Improper operation and so-called sticking of valve lifter units in internal combustion engines is a common occurrence and ordinarily requires removal and replacement of said units. Since removal of valve lifters is ordinarily time consuming, it is highly desirable to be able to easily and quickly extract said units from the engine. For the above purpose, I have provided a method that involves the use of a bailing tool X, and a removing tool Y. Throughout the drawing, I have illustrated a typical valve lifter unit I, it being understood that said lifter may vary widely in form and construction without deviating from the present invention.

The particular valve lifter L that I have illustrated is typical of the kind of unit under consideration and involves generally, two elements, one, an external case or shell 10, and the other, an internal plunger 11 shiftable relative to the shell 10. The unit L is in the nature of a cylinder and piston unit, the shell 10 having a cylindrical bore 12 entering the shell from the upper end thereof,

the plunger 11 having a smooth cylindrical outer wall 13 and replace the said lifter units with new units since a.

quickly extracted and it is possible to economically disassemble them from the engine block for repair and reinstallation.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a simple eifective extracting tool for drawing or removing the t units from the engine block.

It is another object of this invention to provide a simple eifective extracting tool for engaging the body part of the lifter unit whereby said part is firmly engaged for slidably engaged in the bore 12 and forming a piston. The bottom end of the shell 10 is closed by a wall 14 having a downwardly disposed cam engaging face 15 to be engaged by the cam shaft of the engine. At the upper end portion of the bore 12, there is an annular inwardly opening channel 16 for receiving a snap ring 17. Y

The shell 10 is slidably carried in a bore provided in the engine block 111 so that the lower end thereof is exposed with the face 15 engaged with the cam of the engine (not shown). A fluid handling gallery 112 is provided in the block 111, there being a lateral port 113 joining the gallery 112 to the bore 110 so that fluid under pressure can be delivered to the lifter L for its operation.

' In accordance with the usual construction, the plunger 11 is a tubular shaped part having a cylindrical inner wall 18 and a head 19 at the bottom or lower end thereof. A fluid handling passage 20 extends through the head 19 to open at a valve seat 21. The valve seat 21 is formed in a boss that depends from the head 19, there being a valve cage 23 centered by the boss and housing a shiftable valve element 24 in operating position. As shown, a spring 25 is engaged in a seat in the wall 14 at the bottom of the shell 10 and engages the case 23 to yieldingly urge it and the plunger 11 upwardly in the bore 12,

3 It' will be understood that a suitable push rod seat 121 is engaged with the upper end of the plunger 11 and is retained in working position by the snap ring 17 to re-.

The automatic adjustment feature of the valve lifter unit.

L is obtained by feeding hydraulic fluid under pressur from the gallery 112 and port 113 and through a port 26 in the shell 10, which fluid is admitted to the interior chamber of the plunger 11 through a port 27 in the wall thereof. There are, however, various other ways to supply fluid under pressure to the interior of the plunger, but without eflect on the present invention. As shown, the ports 26 and 27 are related so that when the parts and 11 reach a certain predetermined position relative to each other, hydraulic fluid under pressure is admitted to the interior chamber 11 whereupon it enters the passage 20 to pass the valve element 24. Hydraulic fluid thus enters the cylindrical bore 12 below the plunger 11 and forces. said plunger upwardly and moves the ports 26 and 27 out of register with each other.

The valve element 24 operates as a check valve to retain fluid below the plunger 11 thereby positioning the plunger 11 relative to the shell 10. It is the valve element 24 that I engage with the bailer X of the present invention, and it is the channel 16 which forms a part or shoulder and which I employ and engage with the extractor Y of the present invention. By using the tools X and Y in accordance with the method that I provide, the units L are easily and quickly extracted from the engine block 111.

The first step in carrying out the method and employing the apparatus that I have provided, is the draining or bailing of hydraulic fluid from within the lifter unit L. A jet of compressed air may be employed to blow out the fluid in the upper chamber of the unit L, but this results in a messy operation and does not insure that all of the fluid is removed. That is, fluid is trapped below the valve element 24 and under some circumstances cannot be easily removed. For example, the element 24 may leak so as to allow the plunger 11 to rise under influence of the spring 25 with the result that fluid is trapped below the plunger.

This first operation of the method is accomplished by removal of the snap ring 17 and push rod seat 121 and by employing the tool X (Fig. 2) that operates on the unit L so that fluid is pumped from the cylindrical bore 12 below the plunger 11 whereby the plunger may be lowered relative to the shell. The pumping action by the tool X is accomplished by reciprocating the tool upwardly and downwardly until the desired amount of fluid is removed from the lifter unit and transferred into the tool X. Removal of the seat 121 is simple and requires only the removal of the snap ring 17 after which the push rod seat is free of the lifter unit L. This draining of the unit L is for the purpose of providing some clearance beneath the snap ring groove or channel 16 for entry of the extracting tool Y into operating position as hereinafter described.

The bailing tool X may vary widely and is shown as a simple straight elongate instrument having a tubular body 30 and a reduced pin portion 31 projecting downwardly from the lower end of the body. The tubular body 30 is manipulated by hand to pass the pin portion 31 into the passage 20 to disengage the valve element 24 on the seat 21 (Fig. 2). The tubular body 30 and pin portion 31 form a chamber and a fluid passage, there being a fluid lift valve 32 to close said passage, preferably at the point of joinder between the body and the pin portion thereof. A seat 33 is provided for the valve 32, the fluid passage through the pin portion 31 being of smaller diameter than the chamber in the body 30. The pin portion 31 is engageable with the valve 24 above described while a shoulder 34 at the lower end of the body where the pin portion adjoins the body engages with the head 19 of the A head 35 is provided at the upper end of the body 30.

and has a threaded socket 36 for the application of an extension or handle (indicated in phantom lines in Fig. 2). As shown, a plug 37 is threaded into the head to close the upper end of the chamber in the body. Exhaust openings 136 are provided at the upper end portion of the body to expel fluid from the chamber therein. It will be apparent that reciprocation of the tool X and of the plunger 11 will result in bailing of fluid from the lifter unit L and into the chamber in the tool and that the tool can be emptied by pouring the fluid therefrom through the openings I136.

The second step in carrying out the method and employing the apparatus that I have provided is the removing or extracting of the lifter unit L from the bore in the engine block 111. This second operation of the method is accomplished by applying and manipulating the removing tool or extractor Y that I have provided. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the tool Y is adapted to be anchored to the lifter unit L whereby force can be applied to withdraw the unit from the bore 110. The tool Y is primarily an anchoring device and involves generally, a body A, an anchor B, a sleeve C for operating the anchor B relative to the body A, and a stop D for positioning the sleeve C. In addition to the foregoing elements, the tool Y also involves a head E and a drive means F adapted to connect with the head E and drive the tool Y to move the lifter unit L.

The body A is an elongate element having a central shank portion 40, an upper threaded portion 41, and a lower base portion 42. The shank portion 40 is round in cross section, the upper threaded portion 41 is a continuation of the portion 40, and the base portion 42 is carried by the lower end of the portion 40 and is substantially larger in diameter than the portion 40 and proportioned to slidably enter the bore 12 in the shell 10 01 the unit L.

The base portion 42 may terminate in a flat bottom 43 and is preferably beveled to facilitate entry of the body A into the bore 12. The body A is characterized by a shoulder 44 that occurs between the shank portion 40 and base portion 42. The shoulder 44 is inclined or tapered and extends downwardly and outwardly from the shank portion 40 to the base portion 42. As shown, the shoulder 44 faces upwardly and may be tapered at 45. The exterior of the body portion 40 is smooth and uninterrupted while threads 45 are provided on the exterior of the portion 41 to receive other elements as hereinafter described.

The anchor B is a circular element adapted to be moved into engagement with the channel 16 above referred to from a normal unactuated or retracted position. In Figs. 3 and 7 of the drawings, the anchor B is shown engaged in the channel 16 of the unit L while in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the anchor B is shown in the normal unactuated or retracted position. As shown, the anchor B is in the form of a ring-shaped body part 46 that is split at 47 so that it can be expanded. The cross sectional configuration of the anchor B can vary widely as circumstances require and is preferably round in which case, it may be made of Wire. For example, the anchor B may be made of steel spring wire, or the like.

The body part 46 that forms the anchor B is carried over the shank portion 40 of the body A and is normally supported on the shoulder 44 in a plane that is normal to the longitudinal axis of the body A. The normal outside diameter of the body part 46 is substantially the same as the diameter of the base 42. Thus, the body A and anchor B can be entered into the bore 12 of the unitL. It is to be observed that the radial extent of the shoulder 44 is such as to allow for full retraction of the anchor B to a normal unactuated position where its outside diameter is substantially coincidental with the outside diameter of the base 42 of the body A.

The sleeve C is an operating sleeve that expands the anchorB so that the ring-shaped body part 46 partially enters the channel 16 in the lifter L to occupy the channel. The sleeve C is a tubular element shiftably carried in the shank portion 40 of the body A and has an outer diameter 50 of the same outside diameter as the outside diameter of the base 42 of the body. In practice, the inner diameter 51 of the sleeve C is such as to be rotatably carried on the body portion 40. In accordance with the invention, the lower end of the sleeve C is opposed to the shoulder 44 and is oppositely beveled or inclined to have an anchor engaging face 55 that extends upwardly and outwardly, preferably at a 45 angle. The face 55 is of more limited radial extent than the shoulder 44 and is proportioned so that the ring-shaped body part 46 is expanded approximately one-half its cross sectional dimension when the sleeve C is moved into operating position. The proper operating position of the sleeve C is determined by a seat 56 at the lower terminal end of the sleeve that extends inwardly from the face 55. The seat 56 engages the shoulder 44 adjacent the shank portion 40 to position the sleeve for the desired expansion of the anchor B.

The sleeve C includes a nut 57 threaded onto the upper portion 41 of the body A. The nut 57 is preferably an enlargement at the upper end of the sleeve and is knurled for manipulation so that it can be readily turned or rotated. It will be apparent that the nut 57 and sleeve C can be rotated and positioned as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings to expand the anchor B and that it can be rotated and positioned as shown in Fig. of the drawings to allow the anchor B to return to a normal unactuated position. The stop D in the form of a stop nut 58 is threaded onto the body portion 41 and may be adjusted in order to determine the desired retracted position of the sleeve C.

The head E and drive means F are provided for handling and manipulating the tool Y and are located at the upper end of the tool. The head is threaded to the upper end of the body portion 41 and is provided with a threaded socket 58 for the application of an extension or handle or any other suitable implement. In accordance with the invention, I provide a drive means F which is applied to the head E.

The drive means F is essentially a puller and is shown in the form of a slip hammer and involves a slide 60, a coupling 61, an abutment 62, and a hammer 63. The slide 60 is an elongate rod-like element of substantial length, preferably round in cross section. The coupling 61 is in the form of threads at the lower end portion of the slide 60 adapted to be threaded into the socket 58 in the head E for coupled engagement. The abutment 62 is carried at the upper end portion of the slide 60 and is permanently secured thereto. The hammer 63 is of substantial weight and is adapted to strike the abutment 62. As shown, the hammer is slidably carried on the slide 60 and is shiftable relative to the abutment 62 and is adapted to strike the abutment in order to produce a hammering action.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided an extremely simple and effective tool for re moving valve lifter units from engine blocks. In order to extract the lifter unit from the engine block, it is merely necessary to enter the base portion of the tool Y into the bore 12 in the lifter shell 10. As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, a suitable mark 65 may be provided on the exterior of the sleeve C in order to indicate the proper position for engagement of the anchor B in the channel 16. In order to lock the anchor B in operating position, the sleeve C is turned by rotation of the nut 57 whereby the shoulder 44 and face 55 are positioned to expand the ring-shaped body part 46 so that it enters the channel 16. In this manner, substan1ial mechanical engagement is gained between the tool Y and the valve lifter unit L so that effective pulling forces can be applied in order to withdraw the unit L from the bore 110.

Having described only typical preferred forms and ap plications of my invention, -1 do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

-'1. An extracting tool for removing a shell from a bore, said shell having a cylindrical bore with an inwardly opening channel for normally receiving a ring, including, a cylindrical body adapted to enter the shell, a base at the lower end of the body and slidably engageable in the bore in the shell and having an upwardly facing inclined shoulder, a retractable split-ring carried on the body to be supported by the shoulder and adapted to be expanded to enter the channel in the shell, and a sleeve threadedly carried on the body and with a face opposed to the inclined shoulder and with the split-ring therebetween, said sleeve being rotatable and movable by means of said threaded engagement on the body to expand the split-ring into the channel thereby connecting the tool to the shell.

2. A11 extracting tool for removing a shell from a bore, said shell having a cylindrical bore with an inwardly opening channel for normally receiving a ring, including, a cylindrical body adapted to enter the shell, a base at the lower end of the body and slidably engage able in the bore in the shell and having an upwardly facing shoulder, a retractable split-ring carried over the body to be supported by the shoulder and adapted to be expanded to enter the channel in the shell, and a sleeve threadedly carried on the body and with an inclined face opposed to the shoulder and with the split ring therebetween, said sleeve being rotatable and movable by means of said threaded engagement on the body and operable to engage and to expand the split-ring into the channel thereby connecting the tool to the shell.

3. An extracting tool for removing a shell from a bore, said shell having a cylindrical bore with an inwardly opening channel for normally receiving a ring, including, a cylindrical body adapted to enter the shell, a base at the lower end of the body and slidably engageable in the bore in the shell and having an upwardly facing inclined shoulder, a retractable split ring carried over the body to be supported by the shoulder and adapted to be expanded to enter the channel in the shell, and a sleeve threadedly carried on the body and with an inclined face opposed to the inclined shoulder and with the split-ring therebetween, said sleeve being rotatable and movable by means of said threaded engagement on the body and to expand the split-ring into the channel thereby connecting the tool to the shell.

4. An extracting tool for removing a shell from a bore, said shell having a cylindrical bore with an inwardly opening channel for normally receiving a ring, including, a cylindrical body adapted to enter the shell, a base at the lower end of the body and slidably engageable in the bore in the shell and having an upwardly facing inclined shoulder, a retractable split-ring carried over the body and adapted to be expanded to enter the channel in the shell, a sleeve threadedly carried on the body and with a downwardly facing inclined face opposed to the shoulder and with the split-ring therebetween, said sleeve being rotatable and movable by means of said threaded engagement on the body and to expand the split-ring into the channel thereby connecting the tool to the unit, and a tdp bositiohing the'shbulder and face and iimitidgx pansion of .the split-ring.

Referenc es Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hughes Feb. 18, 1913 Rosendahl -1- Jan. 2, 1917 Herold Nov. 6, 1923 McCord Mar. 22, 1927 

